SEDL / STP / STP719-EB / STP27528S

Wintertime Infiltration Rates in Mobile Homes

Goldschmidt, VW
Professor and graduate research assistant, R. W. Herrick Laboratories, School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Ind.

Leonard, RG
Professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,

Ball, JE
Professor and graduate research assistant, R. W. Herrick Laboratories, School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Ind.

Wilhelm, DR
Engineer, General Electric Co.,

Pages: 18    Published: Jan 1980

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Abstract

The infiltration in mobile homes can be reduced by treatments such as caulking or adding a special sheathing board material. Present standards set limits on the infiltration rates in mobile homes. Reduction in infiltration rates are accompanied by reductions in heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment sizing and operation cost. Unfortunately, there is a general lack of actual field data to determine infiltration rates of mobile homes and the general dependence of infiltration on wind and temperature differences.

A field test setup including two unoccupied mobile homes is described. The facility permits a measure of weather, consumption, infiltration rate, and surface temperatures. Data are now presented comparing the winter performance of the two mobile homes. The homes are identical on all counts except that one is treated with a special sheathing board while the other is caulked. The data indicate a general parabolic dependence of infiltration on wind (and a linear dependence on temperature difference) with consistently lower values of infiltration rate for the board-sheathed home than for the caulked home.